Printing-types.



G. T. LIBBY.

PRINTING TYPES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14, 1909. I

Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

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PRINTING-TYPES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 211, 1913.

Application filed April 14, 1909. Serial No. 489,863.

This invention relates to improvements in printing types and has for its ob ect the combination of capital and lower case fonts of different sizes and designs of face but on the same size of body, to the end that 1) any given number of cases of type in a printing oflice shall be capable of producing nearly twice or more than twice as many printing effects as the same number of cases of types as heretofore made, (2.) that they shall be available for yielding so-callcd cap and small cap effects without (a) keeping fonts of type available for that use only, or (b) justifying capitals of two different size bodies by means of leads or slugs, card board, etc.

In the drawings, Figure 1 and Fig. 1 show specimens of the caps of the large face. Fig. 2 and Fig. 2 show specimens of the caps of the small face; Fig. 3 and Fig. 3 show specimens of the caps of both faces combined in cap and small cap effect; Fig. 4e and Fig. 4 show specimens of caps and lower case letters of the large face; Fig. '5 and Fig. 5 show specimens of the caps of the large face and lower case letters of the small face used in combination; Fig. 6 and Fig. 6 show specimens of the caps of the small face and lower case letters of the large face used in combination; Fig. 7 and Fig. 7 show specimens of the caps and lower case letters of the small face. Fig. 8 is a lateral elevation of Fig. 1, and Fig. 1, and Fig. 9 is a lateral elevation of Fig. 2 and Fig. 2 showing the uniform shoulder, Z2, at the bottom of all the letters and the varying shoulder, a, at the top of the difierent letters.

The lines surrounding all the figures show the size of the body of the type, the placing of the different faces on the body, and the shoulders between the top of the printing face and the top of the body, and between the bottom of the printing face and the bottom of the body. a

My invention consists in a new combination in fonts of printing type, viz., the co-n1 bination of two or more fonts of type, on the same body, but of different height cap faces, and of lower case faces designed dif ferent from each other for the sake of giving different printing effects, and either lower case adapted to be used with either cap line, and the different cap lines adapted to go together for cap and small cap effects all on the same size body. This effect is produced, as shown in the drawings, by making all the faces with a uniform bottom shoulder, or blank space bet-ween the bottom line of the plain letters and the bottom of the body, but with a differing top shoulder, or blank space between the top line of the cap and tall lower case letters and the top of the body. This difference in. top shoulder is referred to in different parts of this specification by the technical expression different height letters.

The expression cap and small cap effect as used in this specification is a tech nical expression of the printers and engravers arts indicating two sizes of capital formed letters, the initial letter in each word, or in the important words, done in the larger size letters and the rest in the smaller size letters. Fig. and Fig. 3 illustrate the cap and small cap effect.

In the prior art, the most ancient use of type is in two cases, one containing capitals and small capitals, the other lower case letters. These two cases were capable of producing four printing effects, namely, (1) caps and lower case, (2) all. caps, all small caps, (4) caps and small caps. The latter (4-) gave such a large difference between the caps and small. caps in the same line as to offend modern taste, but they are found thus used in ancient printed books and this use l) is therefore not new.

In the modern art, body type, so-called, has not changed from the ancient system, except by the discontinued use of caps and small caps together in the same line, two cases therefore yielding three effects, (1) caps and lower case, (2) all caps; (3) all small caps.

In the modern art, display type, so-called, comprising almost all the cases of type which a printing oflice finds it necessary to have, are kept in single cases, the caps in the right end, the lower case in the left end, Without small caps. From two such'cases four printing eflects are possible, two effects out of each case, the cap and the caps and lower case out of each case; corresponding to Figs. 1 4!, 2 7 in my drawing.

In the modern art, furthermore, in order to meet the requirements of artistic printing, type is made in a few sizes and in capital letters only on a system of having two or more different size faces on the same size bodies, usable together so that one case containing two such fonts is designed to produce three effects, either size cap face by itself and the two combined in the same line; corresponding to Figs. 1 2 and 3 in the drawings. These fonts, however, have never been made with lower case, and so far as they have come into use can be used only for cap and cap and small cap effects. An inspection of the type foundries type books will show how small a part of their faces are made in this way, probably a small fraction of one per cent, owing to the necessity that every case of type which a printer provides storage room for and bears the cost of needs do its full part in meeting the multiplicity of printing effects called for by customers. Being limited to cap and cap and small cap effects the manufacture and sale of these faces are curtailed accordingly.

In the modern art, furthermore, printers in their eiforts to satisfy customers, do take capitals out of difierent sized fonts and justify them into one line by filling in thin strips of metal or cardboard over or over and under the smaller size type so as to build up its body to the body of the larger size. This method is very wasteful, both of time and material, and not resorted to unless the customer requires it and is willing to pay the extra expense.

In the modern art, furthermore, the same printing effects that are produced by my improvement in types are produced regularly by engraving plates for printing, an expensive process.

My improvement consists in combining two or more fonts of type on the same body but of different height cap faces and of lower case faces designed different from each other for the sake of giving different printing eifects and either lower case adapted to be used with either cap line, and the different cap lines adapted to go together for cap and small cap effects all on the same size body.

Having thus described my invention and its use I claim 1. In printing types, the combination of several cap and ,lower case faces, on the same size body but of different size vertically, adapted to work separately or together either cap font with either lower case font interchangeably.

2. In printing types, the combination of several cap and lower case faces on the same size body, the caps of different size face vertically and adapted to work either separately or any two of them together with cap' and small cap eifect, and each lower case differing from the other lower cases in style and usable with more than one cap font.

3. In printing types, the combination of several cap and lower case faces on the same size body, all with the same shoulder at the bot-tom, the caps with different shoulders at the top and the highest letters of all the lower cases having the same shoulder at the top as the smallest cap font.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses this twelfth day of April, 1909.

CHARLES T. LIBBY.

In presence of- E. G. SEDER UEST, MARION RICHARDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

